Theatre review: Bull at the Young Vic January 23, 2015 Young Vic | ★★★☆☆ Mike Bartlett’s one act play, Bull, gives us a Hobbesian view of office-life with backstabbing and conniving aplenty. And at a scant 55 minutes, it’s “nasty, brutish and short”. Tony, Isobel, and Thomas, are a trio of grasping would-be Apprentice-types, awaiting the arrival of their boss, Carter, who will decide [...]
Film review: Ex Machina is a psychological techno-thriller tour de force January 23, 2015 Cert 15 | ★★★★★ With everyone from Stephen Hawking to Elon Musk warning we’re about to be slaughtered by artificial super-intelligences, Ex Machina is a timely reflection on consciousness, creativity, hubris, and the possibilities that await us just around the corner. Author-turned-screenwriter Alex Garland’s directorial debut is a psychological techno-thriller tour de force. Caleb [...]
Film review: A Most Violent Year is a most intelligent movie January 22, 2015 Cert 15 | ★★★★☆ In an early scene in JC Chandor’s A Most Violent Year, budding oil entrepreneur Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) stares his employees in the eyes and says, “You will never do anything as hard as staring someone in the eye and telling the truth.” This rings especially true in their world, where [...]
Something for the weekend January 22, 2015 PARTY BEYOND CLUELESS FRAT PARTY Celebrate the release of Charlie Lyne’s love letter to the teen movie genre with a screening followed by a frat party at the ICA including beer pong, a prom night photo studio and plenty of red cups. From £8, visit ica.co.uk CELEBRATE BURNS HIGHLAND SWING AT BOISDALE Head to Boisdale [...]
What to watch, see and listen to in 2015: From Avengers and Shaun the Sheep to an exhibition about beards January 21, 2015 Our pick of the upcoming films, music art and theatre. FILM SELMA David Oyelowo in Selma 6 February This movie chronicles Martin Luther King’s epic march from Selma to Montgomery as part of the civil rights movement, which culminated in President Johnson signing the Voting Rights act of 1965. English actor David Oyelowo [...]
World’s End Market head chef Bubker Belkhit offers a spiced treat January 20, 2015 Bubker Belkhit, head chef at the World’s End Market, on his signature tuna tartare dish with cumin mayo. In Morocco, where I’m from, they eat aubergine salad on its own. I thought it would go well with the tuna tartare, but I needed something to make the flavours really come out so I made a [...]
Mix it up: London’s king of cocktails Tony Conigliaro opens up new Bar Termini in Soho and it’s something special January 20, 2015 I’ve never been shy of writing about the bars and cocktails of Tony Conigliaro. After all, one innovative drink to come out of his laboratory (yes, he has a laboratory) is worth a thousand uninspiring cocktail lists. Tony has just opened a small bar in Soho. While his famed Islington bar 69 Colebrooke Row is [...]
Burns Night 2015: How to celebrate the Scottish poet’s birthday in London January 20, 2015 Traditional haggis at Plateau Plateau Saturday night is Burns Night at Plateau, Canary Wharf. The five course set menu starts with smoked salmon, blinis and baby watercress followed by cock-a-leekie soup, before the traditional haggis is brought in, served with a shot of 15-year-old Glenfiddich. The night will be finished off with cranachan and a [...]
The get-fit diary of an out of shape office worker: Six months later January 20, 2015 So last year I got ripped. Not quite Cristiano Ronaldo ripped, but close enough. I even had the Cristiano Ronaldo tan, courtesy of a nice woman at London Bridge who set about me with a spray can. It’s a shame journalism doesn’t offer the same opportunities as football for taking your top off – I [...]
Car review: The new Aston Martin Vanquish Volante – the same but better January 19, 2015 The new model Vanquish Volante shows that the only thing better than an Aston Martin is another Aston Martin. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that the Volante version of the Aston Martin Vanquish is a relatively new car. It first appeared late in 2013, with UK sales kicking off early in 2014, so [...]